Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, there have been claims of electoral fraud in every one of Albania's post-communist elections. The 2009 general elections resulted in no single party gaining a majority of the 140 seats in Parliament, and the Movement for Socialist Integration (LSI) and the Democratic Party (DP) combined to form a coalition government, the first such in Albania's history. The Socialist Party (SP) contested the results of the 2009 parliamentary elections and the 2011 local elections. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure.

Percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

PopulationWorld Ranking: 137

3,002,859 (July 2012 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years

21.4% (male 337,364/female 303,669)

15-64 years

68.1% (male 996,666/female 1,043,472)

65 years and over

10.5% (male 148,151/female 165,345) (2011 est.)

Median age

Total30.9 yearsMale29.6 yearsFemale32.1 years (2012 est.)

Population growth rateWorld Ranking: 167

0.28% (2012 est.)

Birth rateWorld Ranking: 157

12.38 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Death rateWorld Ranking: 157

6.25 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

Net migration rateWorld Ranking: 178

-3.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population52% of total population (2010)Rate of urbanization

2.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities - population

TIRANA (capital) 433,000 (2009)

Sex ratio

At birth1.11 male(s)/femaleUnder 15 years1.12 male(s)/female15-64 years0.96 male(s)/female65 years and over0.89 male(s)/femaleTotal population